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Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts gives crucial Alyssa Thomas update for Wings clash
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- Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts gives crucial Alyssa Thomas update for Wings clash
The post Mercury HC Nate Tibbetts gives crucial Alyssa Thomas update for Wings clash appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Phoenix Mercury got off to a hot start this WNBA season and are clearly a playoff contender through one month of play. As it stands, the Mercury are sitting at 6-4 despite multiple injuries to top players, including Alyssa Thomas and Kahleah Copper .
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On Tuesday, Phoenix got an encouraging update on one of those stars. Head coach Nate Tibbetts said he expects Thomas to be back in the lineup for Wednesday night's tilt against the Dallas Wings , via Desert Wave Media.
"The plan is for AT to play (on Wednesday)," Tibbetts said. "She's been trending in the right direction. She had a really good day today, her and (Natasha) Mack, so I'm excited to get those two back."
It sounds like Thomas and Natasha Mack should both be back in the lineup for Phoenix , which will give them a big boost against a Wings team that has been struggling with some injuries of their own, specifically to rookie guard Paige Bueckers .
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Thomas was one of the biggest offseason additions in the WNBA and immediately vaulted the Mercury up into the list of projected title contenders this season. The longtime Connecticut Sun stalwart has not played since May 27 with a left calf injury, but Phoenix will be thankful that it only sidelined her for a couple of weeks.
The five-time All Star has made her all-around presence felt in just five games played with the Mercury this season. So far, Thomas is averaging 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game for Phoenix, so she is putting up All-WNBA numbers once again.
The 33-year old has been named to the All-WNBA team in each of the last three seasons with the Sun, including First Team honors in both 2023 and 2024. That type of production is what the Mercury have been desperately missing and will welcome back into the lineup on Wednesday night.
Tibbetts and company have also been playing without Mack for the entirety of the 2025 season while she has been recovering from a back injury, but she should be back as well. While her impact won't match the level of Thomas, she was still a contributor for Phoenix off the bench last year and will give the Mercury some added depth going forward into the season.
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The Mercury are still waiting for the return of Copper after undergoing left knee surgery , but adding Thomas and Mack back into the lineup should help them stay on the right track in the near future.
Related: Why Mercury's Nate Tibbetts shot down Coach of the Year chatter with NSFW mic drop
Related: What Mercury's latest roster move means for star injury returns
